Heart of Gold
by Talye Kendrin
Summary: In the moment the Princesses' hearts united in Kingdom Hearts to open the door, something...or someone...was created, with the power of Kingdom Hearts itself. Now a chapter story. On Hiatus
1. Prologue : Existence

"_I know now, without a doubt. Kingdom Hearts… is light!"_

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The Princesses of Heart. Seven girls containing pure hearts of light, which are the key to the opening of Kingdom Hearts.

Unfortunately, someone got the bright idea of capturing them and using them for their own personal gain. The princesses were used; the door unlocked.

But unbeknownst to anyone… when those hearts united in that moment when they opened the door to Kingdom Hearts…

_Something was born._

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_

Inside of Kingdom Hearts, it was light. Light was everywhere; blinding white light that would render a person's eyes useless if they attempted to look at it. That was alright, though, seeing as no humans existed inside of Kingdom Hearts.

But in that moment in time, the hearts of all seven Princesses of Heart united in Kingdom Hearts, their light inter-mingling as they essentially merged together in order to unlock the door to the light realm. A loud, echoing click could be heard as the hearts' light receded to return to their owners.

But a reaction came from Kingdom Hearts in response to the presence of the hearts. The light was shifting, churning, and…

Something was forming.

It was not much; the form was shaky at first, but slowly began to solidify. The form of a young teenage girl was barely visible against the brightness, with milky white skin and short, stark white hair, and gold eyes concealed behind closed eyelids. Long, flowing white robes formed to cover her otherwise naked body, but before she could so much as open her eyes…

Chains appeared, encircling her and trapping her where she was.

The creation of the Princesses of Heart along with Kingdom Hearts would be going nowhere for quite some time.

--

**A/N:** Welcome to the re-write. This will actually be a chapter story, as opposed to the one-shot it was before. Hope you like this better than the original (you better; I'm explaining Heart's existence and trying to erase all of her Mary Sue-like actions/words. Gah, that was annoying me so much I just _had_ to re-write it)!

Please review; it only takes a few seconds to comment, after all. :)


	2. Prologue II : Shockwaves

The young girl smiled wordlessly as another heart appeared in Kingdom Hearts, and she glowed the slightest bit brighter. She was nearly as bright as the inside of Kingdom Hearts itself, now, what with all of the hearts that had been sent there to date. It got very boring inside of Kingdom Hearts, but the hearts that she was being given made her chipper and boosted her powers, so she did not complain… not that there was anyone to complain to, anyways. However, lately, she had found that she could entertain herself by focusing on looking upon something exciting; she wanted to see people's adventures and heroics.

And that was how she came to look upon the happenings in the life of a young boy called Sora.

She watched as he wove his way through the place that she somehow knew was called The World That Never Was. It was strange how she knew the name of the world, even though she had never heard of it before; it was like the name just came to the front of her mind unbidden when she looked upon it for the first time. It confused her, but then, being alive inside of the one and only Kingdom Hearts when she doubted anyone was supposed to be able to live there at all made her a bit more open to accepting strange things than your average human, she supposed.

"Hmm… what's this?" she mumbled to herself as she leaned forward towards the orb of light that showed her the goings-on in the world she wasn't sure was either close by or far away. Something was going on… someone whom she was fairly sure was not on friendly terms with Sora was helping him, and Sora rushed on to go somewh-

A sharp pain exploded in her chest, and the white-haired girl gasped, clutching at the robes over the left side of her chest, where her heart was. It felt like… someone had run her through with a spear, or something. She wasn't sure, but it was _very_ uncomfortable, to say the least. However, after a moment it ebbed away, though as she looked down, she could see that her brightness had diminished.

"It… took away the hearts I absorbed?" she asked the air, confused. In response, the chains binding her to Kingdom Hearts rattled slightly as they shifted in an almost upset manner. She glanced back at them, where they trailed off into the whiteness. "I'm alright. It just stole my little power boosters. It didn't hurt me." _For long,_ she added in her head, but decided not to say it out loud. She wasn't sure what Kingdom Hearts would do if it thought her life was in danger. She shuddered, not wanting to think about it, because she was pretty sure that whatever it would do, it wouldn't be pretty.

The chains rattled as they shifted once more, going slack as though they were relaxing. The girl shook her head, turning back to the orb of light just in time to see something…

_Explode._

The orb of light blinked out of existence just as a shockwave from the explosion she had just witnessed rocked the whole of Kingdom Hearts, tossing her back so strongly that she was knocked clear off her feet, sent skidding backwards several feet. There was a loud sound of protest from the chains that bound her as they followed her flight path and tightened, rattling and screeching as though in pain.

And then, they broke.

The girl's gold eyes darted about her as she lay, confused, on the ground, unsure of what had just happened, but all too aware of the absence of the chains that had been both a nuisance and a comfort over the unknown amount of time she had been alive. They lay broken, scattered on the ground all around her, void of the life they had seemed so full of before. Confused and with adrenaline pumping through her, she quickly scrambled to her feet, hearing the blood pumping through her as she suddenly felt another shockwave follow the first one. But this time, she didn't fall back onto the ground.

She fell back through a portal… and fainted dead away.

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**A/N:** Originally I was going to make this the first chapter, but I decided it was too short to be considered an actual "chapter", even if it was just a beginning one. So it is now officially the second part of the prologue. The real action begins next time. Next update is March 1st, so tune in then! xD -feels like a cheesy cartoon announcer-

Reviews fuel my fire~


	3. I : Una Curiosità Bruciante

**Disclaimer:** I do not own, nor am I affiliated with, Kingdom Hearts or its makers. All I own is my (as yet) unnamed OC, and this plot.

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**Heart of Gold**

Chapter One: _Una Curiosità Bruciante  
_

_--  
_

A groan escaped my lips as my eyelids fluttered before opening, and I shifted where I was lying on the cold, hard ground before wincing as dull throbbing pain started up in my limbs and back, and I lay still for a moment, trying to rack my brain for the reason why I was in someplace much darker than I was used to, and why I seemed to be feeling pain in places I didn't even know existed. It took a moment for my mind to come up with the explanation, but as soon as it did, I clung to it, and my eyes widened, eyebrows shooting up into my hairline as I came to the realization of what had happened.

_That explosion… I could feel the shockwaves all the way in Kingdom Hearts. _I gulped, knowing that it couldn't have been good if it affected even the realm of light. _It took away my boosters… the hearts I'd absorbed… then destroyed my chains and threw me into this… place…_

Realizing there was no guarantee of my safety wherever I was at the moment, I quickly shot up into a sitting position, then groaned softly and clutched my head as pain lanced through it. Nevertheless, I forced my eyes to adjust to the dimmer light and looked around, finding that I was in a place that was not entirely unfamiliar to me.

_Proof of Existence,_ the name of the place came to mind unbidden, even though I had never heard anyone say the name of the place before. I had, however, seen Sora come through here during his adventures only a short while before, when I was watching him in my orb of light. It confused me as to why I would've been deposited here, of all places, by that silly portal… but then, I supposed, it was also confusing as to why the shockwaves had destroyed my chains and opened a portal to begin with. I shrugged, resolving to accept whatever situation I had been thrown into. If I were to live long outside of Kingdom Hearts, I supposed it would be necessary for me to be able to adjust to new things quickly. After all, who knew what the people in the other worlds would do if they knew about who, or what, I was? With a shake of my head, I lurched ungracefully into a standing position, dusting off the seat of my white robes as I took stock of my surroundings.

A blue panel among several other red ones in the room caught my eye, and I wondered vaguely why it was different from all the others. There was another blue one on the opposite end of the room, and… one of the red panels was mostly destroyed.

My brow furrowed in confusion, and I found myself walking towards the destroyed panel, flinching slightly at the feel of the cold concrete floor against my feet. When I reached it, I crouched down, feeling the strain on my aching legs, but trying my best to ignore it as I reached my hand out to brush some of the rubble away from the part of the panel that was still intact and glowing. But as my hand came in contact with the glowing portion, my hand froze in place against my will, and my head exploded in pain as visions danced across my mind.

--

"…_I have identified the scent. It is…Riku…"_

"…_Sora's is not such an interesting existence. The entity that holds _true_ value…is Riku, the hero of darkness…"_

"…_Sora _would_ be a valuable asset to the Organization. But Marluxia and Larxene's actions, they… leave me quite uneasy…"_

"…_He's spineless. In no time at all, I'll be better than him…"_

"…_Axel struck him down, something I find deplorable. Agents of the Organization, striking each other down…"_

"…_When light loses sight of its path…we may find use for the dark. What we must do, is obtain the darkness…"_

"…_Vexen. Larxene. Lexaeus. I wonder who will be next in line…"_

"…_This is absurd…! Then I shall make you see…that your hopes are _nothing_! Nothing but a mere illusion!..."_

"…_So sorry… Zexion. You just found out… _way_ too much."_

--

I jerked my hand back and gasped, hands flying to my head as I gripped handfuls of my hair, rocking back and forth on my heels in my crouched position as the pain slowly died away, leaving only the memories I could only assume belonged to the person… or rather, Nobody… whom the mostly-destroyed tablet proved the existence of.

_Zexion. Number VI in the Organization XIII. Also known as the Cloaked Schemer. Wields the powers of illusion._

The details were all there, sorted into my memory that knew nothing aside from Kingdom Hearts and Sora's travels. But… it was so hard for me to grasp that these memories actually belonged to _someone_, someone who no longer existed—at least, not in the realm of the living. And it… it _scared _me.

Was this why Kingdom Hearts hadn't wanted me to ever leave?

Because I had such frightening, invasive powers?

Not only did they intrude on the lives of others—people or not—that were no longer alive, but I was scaring myself silly with just the notion that I could _see_ and _know_ everything that had ever happened in these Nobodies' lives.

Because, if my theory was correct, if I could see Zexion's memories just from touching his panel… then, in theory, I should be able to see all of the other Organization members' lives by touching their panels, as well…

Right?

Unfortunately, as I had been created in the form of a human, I also had the characteristics and tendencies of one. And one of those came in the form of curiosity.

Surely, it couldn't hurt if I just… touched… one more panel. My gaze slid from the destroyed panel in front of me… to the one next to it.

And, without hesitation, I touched it.

--

"…_Those who forget our true goals will be eliminated…"_

"…_The wielder of the Keyblade is once again walking the path. Let us plant some seeds in that path…"_

"…_Impressive. By the way, have you seen a man named Axel? I expect he's here somewhere…"_

"…_Hearts? You don't have any hearts!..."_

"…_I told Sora. I told him to keep defeating Heartless…"_

"…_You rotten—!..."_

"…_Are you angry? Do you hate me? Then take that rage, and direct it at the Heartless…"_

"…_Only you could have made it this far in one piece… Roxas…"_

"…_Why… Kingdom Hearts… Where… is my heart?"_

--

I trembled as I jerked my hand away from the tablet, the pain wracking my mind as the memories slowly settled into place in order of how they'd happened, and I relived once again someone's death. However, I'd seen this man before, the man with long, light blue hair that wielded a claymore.

_Saïx. Number VII in the Organization XIII. Also known as the Luna Diviner. Wields the power of the berserker state, powered by the moonlight from Kingdom Hearts._

It was astonishing, to me, to see the life of someone whom I had seen Sora obliterate not so long ago. I had simply thought, at the sight of him fading into darkness, that he was "just another Nobody", someone with no heart who didn't know how to feel. But, after reliving his entire existence as a Nobody, my entire perspective on him had changed. I hadn't seen Sora fight Zexion during the time I'd been watching him, but after how drastically my opinion of Saïx had changed since I witnessed his thoughts and memories and felt just how much he lacked true, raw emotions but fought desperately to be able to _fill_ that void—to get back a heart of how _own_, dammit!—I could not help but think that, were I to have known of Zexion before seeing his heart-wrenching memories of betrayal, pain, and death, I would have felt something towards him akin to my first feelings towards Saix.

Apathy. Dislike, even, despite that all I knew about him was that he was a Nobody—the shell left behind when the heart was corrupted by darkness; the body left behind when the heart took on a form of its own… the form of a Heartless. Despite that I knew his form was likely due to nothing more than mere foolishness, if not someone else's will entirely.

And as I mused how much my feelings had changed after peering into their memories—so invasive and unwanted though the ability to do so was to me—I wondered what the other Organization members were like. Were they all as honest in their yearning for a heart as these two had been? Were they also as pitiable to me as Zexion and Saïx?

_This is wrong,_ my conscience screamed at me. _You shouldn't go looking into other people's pasts, dead or not._

But curiosity would be my own undoing, for I perceived my feet shuffling towards the next panel of their own volition, driven by that insatiable urge to know that overruled my conscience in an instant. Even as I knelt to place a hand on the glowing red panel, I thought I sensed someone's gaze upon me, boring into the back of my head. I quickly turned to see if there was someone there—whether they be Heartless, Nobody, or human—but, to my own mixed feelings of relief and disappointment, I was alone with nothing but the deep shadows at the far side of the room to keep me company. Unsure of whether to rejoice or mourn the lack of others' presences, I simply pressed my hand to the panel to absorb another Organization member's memories.

What did it matter that I was still alone, I decided. I had been alone forever, after all.

I did not know how long I lingered in that place, but by the time I had absorbed all of the memories of the Organization members, Kingdom Hearts was much smaller than it had been before, and there was absolute, still silence throughout The World That Never Was.

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**A/N:** Just so you know, from here on out, all chapter titles will be in Italian, for no other reason than because I think it sounds cool. x'D My apologies if they don't translate right (since I'm using an online translator). I will stick the meaning in an author's note at the end of each chapter. This chapter's title means "A Burning Curiosity".

Read and review, please~


	4. II : Una Questione Penosa

**Disclaimer:** I do not own, nor am I affiliated with, Kingdom Hearts or its makers. I only own my (as of yet unnamed) OC, and this plot.

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**Heart of Gold**

Chapter Two : _Una Questione Penosa_**  
**

When I woke, the soft moonlight of Kingdom Hearts was still filtering in from the doorway leading out beyond Proof of Existence, as it always did in this world of eternal night. I blinked my eyes open and slowly rubbed the sleep out of them, fatigue weighing down my eyelids. My head felt heavy, but perhaps it was just a trick of my mind; my head feeling "full" of all of the memories I had taken in and stored. I shifted my weight onto my elbows before pushing myself up fully into a sitting position, taking note of my surroundings and feeling oddly disappointed when I found that nothing had changed.

Why should I be disappointed? I thought, as I clenched my chest, which ached dully. Maybe I wanted someone to come and find me. But that was utterly nonsensical; after all, with the Nobodies vanquished and the Keyblade wielder likely long gone by now, there would be no one left on this world who could find me…. Except, perhaps, for creatures whom I would not _want_ to find me.

I sighed and wondered… is this loneliness? It felt… cold. Like something that gnawed at the very core of my heart. Corroding, cold, aching, looming. It felt like an omnipresent beast that towered over me, waiting to swallow me whole. I clutched harder at the fabric over my chest, and was surprised when I felt something wet on my face. I reached up to touch my cheeks, and was surprised when there was liquid on them as I drew it back to look at it.

_Tears,_ something said in the back of my mind.

Tears?

_Something that your eyes make when you're sad._

A distraction, I thought frantically. That's what I need: a distraction. Something that will take my mind off of this all-consuming loneliness and grief. For surely, if I allowed it to wash over me any longer, I would surely lose myself to it forever, and sink into a cavern of hopelessness and despair that I would be unable to climb back out of.

An idea sparked in my mind, and I laughed through the tears, scrubbing them away with the collar of my robes. I was unsure of whether it would work, but… anything was worth a try. I clung to the idea and began to think of how I should go about it. Something should work… portal of darkness? No. Light. Kingdom Hearts was light.

I concentrated on my destination point, and found myself holding a hand out, focusing on forming a doorway that would lead me to that place. I felt something ripple through my body, a surge of warmth; and then, as it surged through the tips of my extended fingers, a spark of light caught and grew, multiplying until it became a large, oval portal of swirling light, with tendrils of prismatic colors shining throughout. An involuntary smile curled my lips at my success, and relief coursed through me that I was able to do it, though after that, a spark of fear came as well.

What am I?

That question nagged, ever-present, at the back of my mind, even as I stepped through the portal and into a passageway of bright, swirling colors. I saw another portal at the end, and walked faster towards it, intent to be at my destination point already. The passageway was entirely convenient, but it frightened me when I looked down to find that I trod on naught but thin air. I soon emerged from the blindingly-bright myriad of colored lights only to find myself in complete and utter… darkness.

The darkness was suffocating. More all-consuming than the loneliness I'd experienced only moments ago, the darkness pressed in around me, making me feel a claustrophobia and fear like nothing I'd ever experienced before… though looking back, I suppose that wouldn't be saying much, as I had only ever known the light and confines of Kingdom Hearts before being spat out into the cruel outside world.

Shivering, I hugged my arms to my chest, feeling as though I'd been swallowed by a void as the light portal behind me vanished into thin air. I panicked for a moment, frozen by my fear that I was alone—or perhaps not, in a bad sense—and trapped in this horrible darkness, but then I focused, and I noticed that there was a soft, small light a ways away from me, at a slight diagonal. After I finally managed to move my feet from where they had been rooted to the spot, I shuffled slowly at first, then broke out in a jog heading towards the soft light that was such a relieving reprieve from the ever-present blackness in this horrible plane of existence. As I reached it, I slowed, realizing that… I wasn't entirely sure what it was. I furrowed my brow in concentration, wracking my brain for an answer, hoping that the voice that had supplied knowledge for me a few times already would come back to answer my question.

_It's a soul._

I blinked. Soul? Well, that would be what I was searching for, then. But… how to find out if it was one of the ones I was looking for?

_Just touch it._

I complied with the voice's suggestion unquestioningly, reaching out to touch it. As my hand neared, it tingled slightly, before plunging into the center of the light, fingers disappearing into it as they did. I didn't have time to panic or get confused, because almost immediately, another voice, one I had never heard before, seemed to enter my mind. I could feel the edge of another person's consciousness brushing against mine, the feeling indescribably strange and mildly uncomfortable, like being pushed up too close against a stranger in a crowded place.

'Who are you? What are you doing here?'

I was frozen momentarily by surprise, but then I managed to answer back: "I don't know. I'm here to get someone, though."

'What the… you don't know who you are? Boy, are you hopeless…'

"And I take it you still know who you are?" I hoped against hope it was one of the people I had thought to rescue. I wasn't sure what I would do if I had to go wandering in this horrifying, still darkness for someone to take back with me.

'The name's Axel. Got it memorized? ...Not that it really matters, in a place like this… How'd a whole person like you get here, anyway?'

_Don't tell anyone how. You don't want to be imprisoned again, right?_

The other voice startled me momentarily, but I realized that Axel would not be able to hear it giving me pointers, so I found my voice and replied again.

"That doesn't matter. But I would like to take you with me."

'Oh, puh-lease. I'd like to see you try.'

I retracted my hand from the light, the uncomfortable feeling fading away as my fingertips came back into view. I felt an odd smile twist my lips at this newfound… ability. It was very strange, but it was intriguing nonetheless. Who knew there could be such a person that could talk to the deceased? It was… fascinating, in my mind. Nevertheless, I scolded myself mentally. I needed to focus. What should I do to take Axel's soul out of here with me?

_Open the portal first._

Leading where?

_Back to The World That Never Was._

Back to Proof of Existence?

_That's fine. It doesn't matter._

I nodded, feeling the warmth surge through me once again as I stretched my hand out and summoned another light portal, feeling a bit tired and giddy as I watched the swirling light come into existence. Was I using too much of my powers? Oh, well. It didn't matter now; I was going to complete this task before resting. I hated the idea of leaving it unfinished while I slept.

_Now, cup the light in your hands._

I complied, turning and carefully cupping Axel's light in my hands, finding that as I moved, though the light gave a slight resistance, it remained within my hands. I smiled and strode through the portal of light, glad to be out of the oppressive atmosphere that place of eternal, piercing night held.

I never thought I would be so glad to return to a place as empty as Proof of Existence, but at that time, I was just so grateful to be anywhere that _wasn't_ immersed in such frightening darkness that I think I would have even welcomed the fiery depths of hell. My feet hit the now familiar, cold ground, the dust and bareness of my feet muffling the sound of my footsteps as I stepped out onto Naught's Approach, Axel's light still clasped in my hands, pulsing softly.

Then, a Dusk rose out of the ground in front of me.

Axel's light turned a blazing red.

_Now! Thrust the light into the Nobody's chest!_

The Dusk leapt towards me, and I heard myself shriek as I thrust my hands—and subsequently, Axel's light—out towards the Nobody's chest; I squeezed my eyes shut in fear of the impending attack.

The flash of light was bright enough that I could see red against the backs of my eyelids, and I could feel my energy draining from my body. As soon as the light dimmed, I opened my eyes to see Axel's light was gone.

However, instead of a Dusk about to attack me standing in front of me, there was a very surprised-looking Axel, instead.

The surprise didn't last long before his eyes sagged and he collapsed heavily onto me. I struggled to hold him up, but I doubted I could do it for long; I was fighting to keep my legs from buckling under me, as it was.

…_Portal… need to… Axel… Destiny Islands…_

The voice was fading in and out, but I could understand what it was trying to say. Summoning what seemed to be the last few ounces of my strength, I opened a light portal, focusing on opening the other side at a secluded part of Destiny Islands… after all, I didn't want to open it into a crowd and startle everyone. I half-carried, half-dragged the now-unconscious Axel through the portal and out into the Destiny Islands sunshine. Looking out across the water, I saw another island with buildings on it. As I took in the island we were on, I noticed there was little more than a shack, a strange contraption strung between two wooden platforms, and a plethora of foliage; there were no actual houses in sight. There was a rowboat shored on the beach a ways down, but that was it.

Well, I wanted secluded, and that's what I got, I mused. I glanced over at Axel. As nice as the sunshine was, I wasn't sure if it would be good for him to stay in the sun for too long. I dragged him over to the shack and shouldered the door open before setting him down on the sand. As I straightened back up, a sudden wave of nausea overcame me as my world started spinning. Before I knew it, I had made impact with the ground. I closed my eyes, hoping that would make the nausea go away. It was only then that I realized how utterly exhausted the day's events had made me, and I found myself slipping into a blissful unconsciousness—the only darkness I did not fear; the darkness created by my own mind that allowed me rest.

I slept.

--

'_Sir… I went back, as per your orders, and observed the girl. It seems that something, or someone, may be instructing her on how to use her powers. She seems not to know how to use them herself, or what the extent of her powers may be, as of yet.'_

_A man was seated on a large throne that had been constructed from scrap metal and draped with long lengths of rich purple velvets and silks. He stroked his chin thoughtfully as he listened to his follower, though they did not speak the words, rather projecting their thoughts without the use of vocal chords and mouth—which they lacked._

'_She has also… _revived_ one of the Organization members, sir.'_

"_Revived one of the—!" A look of shock flitted across his face before he masked it with calm, leaning back in his throne. "…A most interesting report you bring." He sneered. "So… the child of Kingdom Hearts, eh? …I suppose we may have use for her." His sneer turned into a haughty smirk. "Watch her, Ica. Report to me when she moves from Destiny Islands… I believe this is the sign we have been waiting for._

"_We begin our move… _now._"_

_

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**A/N: **The chapter title, "Una Questione Penosa", means "A Troublesome Matter". Again, my apologies if this translation is incorrect. If it is, please inform me via PM or review.

Sorry for the late update. Spring break was busier than I thought, and a couple days ago I decided to dedicate all my story-writing time to an original story of mine so that I could have it finished by graduation and hopefully find a publisher for it. That being said, there will be no further updates on this story until July 1st, at which time I will start updating it on the first of every other month._  
_


	5. III : Un Giorno di Scoperta

Welcome to another chapter, dear readers! Hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own, nor am I affiliated with, Kingdom Hearts or its makers.

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**Heart of Gold**

Chapter Three : _Un Giorno di Scoperta_

Hushed voices whispered furiously, seeming light-years away from wherever I was at the time. I felt as though I was drifting through a heavy fog, unable to open my eyes even when I heard vaguely familiar names that struck a chord somewhere in the memories that seemed to float somewhere just beyond my grasp. I wondered vaguely why I could not seem to recall why I felt like I knew those names they had spoken. Axel… Sora… yes, they were so strikingly familiar. Why can't I…?

All at once, I rushed back into consciousness, my eyes snapping open, the extreme blurriness of what I was staring at (I was unsure at first) zooming into focus in little more than a second, so quickly it almost made me feel like my world were spinning a bit. I quickly realized that I was staring up at the surprised faces of three young people, all of whom seemed… terribly familiar.

"Sora?" I asked before I could stop myself from speaking. I saw the spiky brown-haired boy's expression turn from surprised to dumbfounded in no time flat, while the red-haired girl next to him blinked in confusion, and the light blue-haired boy stared, eyes narrowing slightly in what looked to be suspicion. The great range of emotions rolling off of the three different people made me feel exhausted just by being in close proximity of them, but I was wide awake. It felt as though I was on an adrenaline high, even though I had just woken up. Or maybe it was _because_ I had just woken up…?

Well. Who knows?

"Hey! You know me?" Sora said, scratching his head with a sheepish grin. "Sorry, I don't remember meeting you… what's your name again?"

_You don't have a given name. You were formed from the hearts of the Princesses of Heart, after all. Just make one up to go by for now._

Hearts?

Ah… that's right. I had almost forgotten how very abnormal I was for a moment. Being in this radiant boy's presence made me feel oddly calm and…well…normal. But I am, after all, an enigmatic existence, which baffles me to no end. It's…awkward, knowing that I am the only one of my kind in existence… that I am completely different from all of the other people and creatures that I am aware of due to the knowledge granted me by Kingdom Hearts. Hearts… am I just a heart? The embodiment given to a single heart, made from the light and life of others' hearts?

"Heart…"

"Speak up! I can't hear what you're saying," Sora grinned lopsidedly.

"Ah… my apologies," I said, my vision focusing sharply on the people standing above me once again. I tucked my hands behind my head, realizing that I was in a very prone position. If they had been enemies, I would have been wide open to any attacks they might have set upon me with. "My name…is Kokone."

"Kokone?" Kairi asked with a smile. "As in, 'sound of the heart'? That's a pretty name."

"I could say the same for yours."

Curses! I could really use a filter on this dratted mouth of mine. Obviously my thoughts are automatically being voiced without my having fully processed them or the consequences of saying them first.

A flash, then, and Riku had his Way to the Dawn pointed directly at my vulnerable throat.

"Who are you. Why do you know our names?" he asked vehemently.

Inner panic nearly drowned out the little voice, but as soon as I realized it was there, I tuned into it, desperate for some way to get out of the situation I was in. Thankfully, I kept my expression schooled so that my desperation did not show through on the outside; at least I was able to maintain some of my pride.

_Tell them who you are. What you are. Everything. Leave nothing out. They will be your most invaluable allies, if you can manage to get them on your side._

I inhaled deeply and passed a hand over my face before staring Riku straight in the eye. "I'm not an enemy. I'll tell you what you want to know, but I'd prefer it if I didn't have a sword at my throat the whole time, thank you very much."

Riku stared at me, seeming to scrutinize me, trying to ascertain whether or not I would flee if he moved the weapon from its current position. After a moment, I suppose he realized that I wasn't planning on going anywhere anytime soon (I hadn't even checked on Axel after waking up; things started happening too quickly for me to make sure he was all right, and I wasn't about to up and leave without him). Grudgingly withdrawing the blade from my throat, he said tersely, "Talk."

And so I did, exactly as the voice had told me to. After all, it had not led me astray yet so far. I let spill everything that I knew, from the moment I had awakened in Kingdom Hearts, right up to when I had collapsed with Axel in the small shack on Destiny Islands.

As soon as I stopped talking, Riku took Sora and Kairi outside to, I assume, dissect everything that I had said. He had seemed very skeptical throughout my whole speech. I supposed that it might be a bit unbelievable, but after battling Heartless and Nobodies and traveling to several different worlds, I would have thought that he would be a little more open to strange things happening around Sora and himself. I shrugged, scanning the shack to see where Axel was.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," Axel said with a raised eyebrow, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. "Done with the interrogation yet?"

I groaned, putting a hand over my face. "Ask _Riku_ that, not me. He's the one who can't just drop his suspicions already." I let out a long sigh. "Not that I can really blame him, though. I guess it would seem suspicious that someone would bring back a member of the Organization when they seemed like such bad people to outsiders…"

Axel was silent for a moment.

"So… why did you?"

I chewed my lip for a few seconds in hesitation before deciding that honesty was the best way to go about things. "I looked at your memories." I stared at the wooden ceiling of the shack and dug my bare toes into the sand beneath me to distract myself from the guilt I felt at peering at someone else's private past and thoughts. "I know that's terribly invasive of me. I'm too curious for my own good. But…it was what made me feel like you didn't really…_deserve_ the fate you'd been handed. I mean, it's not your fault you were turned into a Nobody to begin with, after all, right?" I chanced a look at Axel.

He stared at me blankly before his features contorted in confusion and he reached up to touch his chest.

"I…can _feel?_" he asked quietly. "…I don't know whether to be mad that you looked at my memories, baffled by the fact that you managed to give me a heart, or just glad that I can finally feel again…" he trailed off before his expression turned sour. "And of course the one person I want to share this with, I can't." He glared at me. "You're too late to make a second chance at life worthwhile for me, anyways."

All I could do was watch in silence as he stalked out without once looking back.

'_Sir, I'm afraid to say that we may have run into a problem before the operation has even been set into motion… it would seem that the Keyblade master and his friends have discovered the Kingdom Child's existence already. It also seems as though the Organization member she revived has no intention of swearing their loyalty to her in return for reviving them, as we had hoped.'_

_The man in the scrap-metal throne watched the liquid in his cup as he swished it around boredly. "Hmmm. And the other issue I asked you to watch for evidence of?"_

'…_Yes, sir. I have reason to believe that the Kingdom Child holds the knowledge of Kingdom Hearts itself, and is possibly even receiving instructions directly from Kingdom Hearts as to what actions she should take next.'_

_He smirked. "That's the ticket." His eyes darted to the other man kneeling before him. "Get close to the child. Earn her trust. Perhaps with your…_prowess_...we can make her see things our way without making any enemies in the process."_

_The other man bowed his head before standing and sweeping an arm across his chest in salute of his leader. 'As you command, Lord Shiratùl.'_

_And with that, he sunk into the shadows on the ground._

I was curled into a ball in a corner of the shack when I heard the door creak open and the sound of feet scuffing the sand as what I assumed was Sora and his friends shuffled into the building. I was immersed in self-pity and guilt as I seemed to have failed at giving Axel a happy new life. I knew that Roxas had been a very dear friend to him; he had been like a guiding light to the Nobody. But I had hoped that even so, if I gave him the ability to feel, he would be able to be happy again. At this new revelation, self-doubt had begun to settle into my mind. What were my powers good for, if not to make others happy? Was I really a worthless existence, after all? Should I have just left things well enough alone? Would Axel have been happier if I just hadn't resurrected him at all?

A hand on my shoulder pulled me out of my thoughts, and I looked up sharply to find Kairi giving me a concerned look.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, crouching down to my level and leaning her arms on her knees as she flashed me a smile. "You look like you could use some cheering up." I could feel the light and kindness radiating off of her like a wave, and I could tell from just being in her presence that she was one of the Princesses of Heart. I felt a pang in my stomach at the realization. She was one of the people responsible for my existence. Could I call her a sister, since I was created partly from the light in her heart? What would the princesses whose hearts had formed my being be considered in regards to me?

I shook my head. "No… Yes. I don't know," I said, not knowing how to voice my concerns. "I'm… not sure I should have…brought Axel back. He…said that as things are now, it's not…_worth_ it, being alive again." I rested my forehead in the palm of my hand. "Maybe these powers of mine are all useless. Why do I even have them, anyways? Who knows if I'll end up misusing them for my own means?" The thought rattled me. "What… what if someone tries to use me against others…?"

Kairi placed both her hands on my shoulders; they were soft and warm, the slender fingers giving a reassuring squeeze as she smiled at me again. "I think it's a good thing that you're thinking about those kinds of things. I mean, sure, it's a scary prospect, but if you're aware that it might happen some day, then you'd be better prepared for it if it does happen, right?" she asked softly. "Besides, it also shows that you're aware of your weakness, and that'll help you try and find ways to make yourself stronger." Her smile turned wry. "I know what it's like, feeling as though you're not strong enough. If there's anything I can help with, just ask, alright?"

I only realized that I had started crying when a tear dripped from my chin to my knees, and I quickly wiped them away, nodding furiously. Kairi's words were almost overwhelming, especially the kindness and sincerity behind them. Were I to have been born a normal human, I would have wanted a sister like her, I thought.

Kairi stuck one hand in front of me, the pinky awkwardly (or so it seemed to me) stuck out. "It's a promise, then."

I stared at it for a moment, unsure what I was supposed to do with it, before something seemed to click into place, and new information filled my mind.

_Pinky promise. A handshake where the pinky fingers are joined together, used between friends to signify a solemn promise._

I smiled despite my damp eyes and linked my pinky with hers.

_Five figures knelt in front of their respective stone columns, each bearing the first letter of their name to identify their places. The sixth column had no figure in front of it._

"_This meeting has now begun. Each of you state your thoughts on the use of the Kingdom Child in turn," the man sprawled across the arms of the scrap metal throne said in a flippant tone._

'_Heh. So the cold bastard isn't here for the meeting?' The man across from the empty stone column closest to the throne "said", projecting his thoughts to the others._

'_He's obviously on a mission, Gath. Heavens knows he's more useful than _you_ are,' the smallest of the lot, sitting at the fourth pillar from the throne, whipped back in retort._

"_Shut up," the man in the throne, the only one capable of true speech in the room, snapped. "I get enough of your attitudes around the base. I don't need them in the meetings, too."_

'_I, for one, don't think we could trust the Kingdom Child not to smite us all. From what Ica has seen, we know that she likely has the power, if not the wisdom yet, to do so,' pillar number three's resident said._

'_Oh shut up, Balathi. We all know you're paranoid, no need to shove your paranoia on all of us, too,' pillar number four said._

"_Sera. You know the consequences; last warning."_

'_Of course I know the consequences, I'm the only one who ever gets punished,' she muttered darkly, but was silent after that._

"_Now. Opinions, aside from Balathi's?"_

'_Heck, why not? It might be nice to have a toy around here,' pillar number two said with brash arrogance. Had he lips, he would have been smirking._

'_Is your own enjoyment the only thing your small brain ever thinks of, Gath?' Sera asked before quickly switching tactics so she wouldn't get punished. 'I, for one, think that she could greatly further our goals. Let's use her.'_

_The man on the throne smirked. "Further our goals, or further your goals?" He snorted. "Either way. Opinion noted. Next."_

_Pillar number five yawned, showing off her mouthful of sharp teeth as she stretched her leonine form out on the ground in front of her pillar. 'I have no objection to using her. She seems to be unaware of the true extent of her powers, and from Ica's reports she also seems to be somewhat fragile and driven by her emotions, so I doubt it would be very difficult to manipulate her to our liking,' she said, blue cat's eyes flashing in a cold, calm manner._

_He nodded. "And you?" he asked, directed at the final pillar's occupant._

_Pillar number six stared boredly off into the distance, large bat-like wings folded into his form. He gave the leader a nonchalant look before saying, 'You already know my answer.'_

"_Voice it. This is a meeting so that we _all_ know each other's opinions on the matter at hand, not just myself."_

_Pillar six sighed, but stated, 'I am in favor of using the Kingdom Child. There, happy?'_

"_Quite," he said sarcastically. "Now that I've heard everyone's opinions, I believe it's safe to say that we will be using the Kingdom Child for the furtherance of our goals. My apologies, Balathi, but majority rules. You are welcome to take precautions as long as they do not put the Kingdom Child's life in danger. Understood?"_

_Balathi gave a terse nod._

"_Good. Meeting adjourned. Gath and Sera, see me tomorrow morning for mission briefings."_

_Everyone stood to leave, but the man on the throne swiftly stood as well and caught pillar number six's arm before he had the chance to leave with the others._

"_Ah-ah-ah," he said with a smirk. "I have a special mission, just for you…"_

_

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**A/N:** Please review! I'd like to know if there's anything you think I could improve on, or what you like about the story so far.

Just to clarify, the italics are scenes where Kokone is not present._  
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	6. IV : Una Promessa di Cameratismo

**Disclaimer:** I do not own, nor am I affiliated with, Kingdom Hearts or its makers. I do, however, own Kokone and my other original characters, as well as this plot.

* * *

**Heart of Gold**

Chapter Four : _Una Promessa di Cameratismo_

I trudged along the beach, my too-big, borrowed shoes flopping awkwardly around my feet as I went, courtesy of Sora. When I had confessed my doubts about having brought Axel back—along with what he had said to me—to Kairi, she had all but forced me to go after him, saying that I had to voice my doubts to the person they were about, or we wouldn't be able to move past our problems. Of course, when Sora had found out that I had to go trekking across the island to find wherever Axel had gone, he lent me his shoes, saying that sometimes there were sharp shells and rocks in the sand, and he'd feel bad if my feet got cut up since I didn't have any shoes of my own to wear. Despite the fact that it was very hard to walk on the sand in his large shoes, the thought behind the action made me smile.

As I walked, however, I became more and more exasperated. This island was none too small, despite its lack of habitation. How was I supposed to find a certain flashy redhead in all this _space?_ My newfound happiness was quickly dwindling, being replaced instead with frustration and upset. How in the worlds was I supposed to find a single person on this big island?

_Calm down. Take a deep breath, and focus on Axel. You should know where to go from there._

A whelming relief washed over me at the sound of the voice. I said a silent 'thanks' to whoever—or whatever—the voice was that was always helping me when I couldn't see a way out of my current situation. Quick to do what it suggested, I closed my eyes and slowed my breathing, picturing Axel in my mind: the long, heavily spiked red hair, the upside-down triangle tattoos beneath his bright green eyes, the lean figure…

My feet started moving of their own volition.

Hastily, I opened my eyes, not wanting to trip on anything. However, when I did so, the connection I had felt for a brief moment sputtered out of existence. I frowned, but resolved to try again.

Again picturing the redhead in my mind, I took a deep breath and focused wholly on him; this time, when my feet began to move against my will, I did not falter in my focus, keeping my mental image of Axel firmly in place as I repeated over and over in my head like a mantra, _Need to find Axel, need to find Axel, need to find Axel._

And then I tripped.

I slowly pushed myself up, dusting off the sand that had gotten on me when I fell. Thankfully, I had reacted fast enough to save myself from doing a complete face-plant in the sand, which I reckoned would have been much more unpleasant than a simple fall. Sand in the mouth did not seem like a very appetizing thing, from the gritty texture of it (and the fact that it was something people walked on), despite that I had never tasted sand before. I wrinkled my nose and stood, surveying my surroundings to see where I had ended up. It seemed like I must have gone around to the other side of the island, because the shack was nowhere in sight. However, I _could_ see a certain redhead off in the distance (and I don't mean Kairi, either). I squinted a bit in the bright afternoon sunlight, seeing that he was manipulating a flame…and holding a Keyblade fashioned with a chakram blade.

"Axel?" I called out, quickly regretting it when a spurt of fire went whizzing past my ear, singeing the tips of my hair. I quickly patted it to make sure none of them had actually caught flame, breathing a sigh of relief when they hadn't. I frowned at the offender. "Training or not, you really have no excuse for that," I muttered under my breath before approaching Axel, who released his Keyblade, the weapon un-summoning itself with a flash of light before it hit the sand.

Axel collapsed heavily as I reached him, sprawling himself out on the ground. "What are _you_ here for?" He stared up at me balefully. "It's bad enough I just found out I can't even summon portals anymore, along with not being able to share having emotions again with my best friend, _and_ the fact that someone I've never even met before knows my entire life's story. Have you come to tell me some _more_ bad news, hmm? What, is Demyx actually my long-lost brother?" he said sarcastically.

I was silent for a moment before sitting down beside him, kicking off Sora's clumsy shoes (well, Sora's shoes that made me clumsy). I wasn't sure how I should go about spilling my emotions to someone who didn't seem to particularly care how I felt. Taking a deep breath, I decided to be blunt.

"Look. I know I'm not your favorite person, nor do you really know me. You might not even _want_ to get to know me, but I'm going to tell you a little bit about myself," I stated, looking over to make sure Axel wasn't completely ignoring me. The moment I turned to find him looking at me, however, he shifted his gaze to the sky. I sighed, but continued. "I don't really know if there's a reason why I exist. It's probably just some critical error that no one predicted might happen in the first place. But, accident or not, I want to do my part. These…strong emotions of mine, they tell me that I should make more of them, to let others experience the same happiness and satisfaction that I've been able to feel in the short time I've existed. So I hope that despite feeling angry and upset that I brought you back and that I might not be able to bring Roxas back, as well, that you might find some joy in these worlds nonetheless." I smiled hopefully as I turned back to find him staring at me again, though this time he didn't look away.

Something sparked in his eyes. "Wait," he said. "Might…not…?" He bolted up into a sitting position, suddenly very animated. "Does that mean there might be a way to bring Roxas back, too!"

Surprised, it took me a moment to say, "Er—well, technically yes, there might be. I don't know… I don't even know what I'm capable of yet. I imagine it would be a lot more lengthy and difficult than bringing you back was, but there's a chance that it might be possible…" I stammered, cheeks flushing as I felt his burning gaze on me, putting me in the spotlight under pressure. I bit the inside of my cheek, then took a deep breath. "I don't want you to be too hopeful, though. It might not be within my power to do so, since Roxas and Sora share a heart. I don't know if it's possible to separate the two halves and fill the gaps in their hearts…it just might not work that way. I don't know," I said, exasperated, massaging my temples as I felt a headache coming on from over-thinking. I squawked when I felt my hair being mussed, glaring at Axel half-heartedly.

Axel smirked. "Don't strain something with all that thinking," he said, taking his hand back and putting it behind his head as a cushion. "I…guess I might as well stick with you, for now. At least until you figure out the extent of your powers." He glanced over at me. "Seeing as I don't know what else I could do with all my free time in the meantime."

I grinned. "Welcome aboard my crew, then," I joked. "Now that we're not at each other's throats anymore, I think we should probably head back to the shack. Wouldn't want Riku thinking we were conspiring against them, after all." I shook my head at the thought.

I stood, and offered Axel a hand to help him up. He stared at it a moment before getting up himself and, rather than doing anything nicer, mussed my hair again. I growled, batting his hand away and grabbing Sora's shoes before following Axel back. It would have been more convenient if I actually knew how I'd gotten there, but I supposed if Axel knew how he got there, that was good enough (just a little slower, that's all). Bored, I started jogging circles around Axel as he walked. Now that I wasn't feeling that overwhelming sensation of being bombarded by multiple people's emotions, I felt invigorated, my energy level feeling almost as though it had tripled in the span of a few minutes. I started humming off-tune as I went, not entirely sure what it was that I was even humming.

Axel twitched. "Would you stop that already? It's getting veeery annoying."

Feeling cheeky, I dared say, "Make me!"

Unfortunately, Axel's eyes gleamed at that statement, so with a strangled noise, I ran in the opposite direction. (Which, let me tell you, is not exactly easy on a sandy beach). I hadn't even taken a dozen steps before—

I tripped. _Again_.

Fortunately, this time it wasn't because of my own clumsiness (rather just the fact that I wasn't paying attention to where I was going), because when I looked to see what it was I had tripped over, I was surprised to find a boy who looked to be around Axel's age lying in the sand in a dead sleep. I panicked, not sure what I should do. Was he really just sleeping?

_Check if he's breathing before you assume he's dead._

Biting the inside of my cheek, I nodded before placing a hand beneath his nose, letting out a sigh of relief when I felt shallow breath on my palm.

"I dunno why this kid's out here, but he wasn't there when I headed this way, and he can't stay here. The tide's going to come in soon," Axel pointed out, jerking a thumb at the water.

I nodded, determination sparking in my mind as I tugged on the unconscious boy's arm, gradually maneuvering him so that I was carrying him on my back. I only realized something was missing when I glanced back at the ground where I'd been kneeling.

"…Ah. Axel, would you mind carrying those shoes for me? I kind of can't lean down to grab them now," I said with a sheepish grin.

Axel gave a low whistle, eyebrows raised. "Damn, shorty. Where do you store all that muscle strength?" Thankfully, he scooped up the shoes as I'd asked without protest.

I quirked an eyebrow. "What, isn't this normal? It's not like he weighs a ton, or anything…"

Axel just chuckled, not explaining a thing.

* * *

'_And just where do you think _you're_ going?'_

_Pillar number six sighed. 'Can it, Balathi. I'm on a mission from the big man himself.'_

'_Hmph. We all know I'm the best at missions; why is he sending you out, of all people?'_

'_The best at assassination missions, you mean. Anything else would usually be reserved for someone else.'_

_Balathi looked livid, but said nothing for a moment. '…So what is your mission, runt?'_

'_Like I would tell you, wench,' he said, and sank into the ground to teleport before she could throw any words—or objects—back at him._

_

* * *

_

By the time we got back to the shack, where Sora, Riku and Kairi were waiting for us, the muscles in my lower legs were aching from walking on the sand with the added weight on my back. Needless to say, the trio looked surprised that we had come back with an added extra on the uninhabited island. I could hardly believe it myself, even, especially seeing as he was still alive—not drowned, like I'd first thought when I'd seen him lying as still as he'd been on the beach.

"Axel, could you help me set this guy down?" I asked, crouching down while Axel moved to lay him back down on the sand. As the weight was removed from my back, I explained to the other three, "I literally stumbled upon him on our way back. He's still breathing, it just looks like he's unconscious. Axel said he wasn't there when he headed that way, so he just showed up in the past few minutes or so, I guess, though I'm not sure exactly how."

Well, at least I wasn't the only one who got the honor of receiving Riku's skeptic gaze. I guessed he was just overall suspicious of outsiders who weren't from the islands.

"He looks kind of…wet," Sora remarked. "And so does the back of your dress."

Kairi flushed a bit, forcing me to sit down. "Don't move from that spot! Sora, Riku, and I will grab some clothes for you and him. Oh," she said, pausing in the process of pushing Sora and Riku out the door of the shack. "Do you want some clean clothes, too, Axel?"

Axel looked down at his Organization coat, having shed the black gloves sometime between leaving the shack and when I had found him training on the beach. He shrugged. "Sure. Anything would beat wearing _this_ outside in this weather."

Kairi smiled. "Alright. Don't move, Kokone. We'll be right back." And with that, she ushered the boys out and shut the door.

I groaned. "How am I supposed to not move? This sand is so itchy, and it's _everywhere_…"

Axel made a strangled noise before covering his mouth and leaving the shack, leaving me confused and alone with an unconscious boy and the highly uncomfortable feeling of sand in my butt and my cold, damp dress sticking to my back. Why was it Kairi told me not to move, again?

* * *

"_Gath. Sera. You two are going to be doing a joint mission this time around._

"_Gath, you are going to draw the Restoration Committee members out to the Great Maw, and from there, you will show them your strength. Cause as much damage as you can before you fall back; give them a taste of what we Shells can do. Make sure to let them know that there are others like you._

"_Sera, while Gath is causing a distraction, you will slip into the base where _his_ research is being kept. You know which files to pull; be quick, and be discreet. That shouldn't be a problem with your stealth and speed._

"_Both of you have a half-hour time limit. When you are done, come back here for further instruction. The two of you will be working as a team until after we have lured the Keyblade wielders and the Kingdom Child here. Do you understand?"_

_Gath and Sera both nodded from their places knelt in front of the scrap metal throne._

"_Good. Go now. You are dismissed."_

'_Yes, sir,' they replied in unison, sweeping their arms across their chests in a salute contradicted by their spirited eyes before they sunk into the ground in teleport._

_The man in the throne sighed heavily and leaned into the backrest, leaning his chin on his fist. It was demanding, ruling over others who weren't completely loyal to your cause, he thought. A gleam of determination showed in his eyes, though. One day, he would be great… greater than anyone before._

_And Ansem the Wise's research was the key to greatness._

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**A/N:** I hope nothing seems too obvious yet... I'd like to make things mysterious, though I usually fail at doing so in my writing. v-v'

The update schedule for this story has been switched with my Dazzle fanfiction's schedule, which is why it's being updated October rather than November 1st. Next update will be December 1st, and possibly a bonus update on Christmas, if my schedule permits.

Read and review, guys! I haven't had any new reviews since I started rewriting this story, and lack of reviews makes the authoress sad. ):


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